Can carriers



April 3o, 1957 Filed May 4, 1956 P. A. Tol-:NsMx-:IER 2,790,590

CAN CARRIERS 2 Sheets-Sheez 1 INVENTOR.

April 30, 1957 Filed May 4, 195e P. A. TOENSM ElER CAN CARRIERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /N VEN 7'0/1".

wij/54M@ by v CAN CARRIERS Patrick A. Toensmeier, Hamden, Conn., assignor to The New Haven Board & Carton Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 4, 1956, Serial No. 582,790

6 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) This -invention relates `to cartons yfor holding a plurality of like articles and is concerned more particularly with a novel carton or carrier lfor use in the shipment, display, and transport-ation of a plurality of cans having chimes at at least one end, such as those used for beer, scouring powders, etc. The new carrier includes means for 4engaging the chimes of the cans to retain the cans in the carrier and the carrier is similar `to but an improvement upon the carrier shown in my Patent No. 2,678,767, issued May 18, 1954.

The carrier of the patent has the form of a sleeve made up of side wal-ls connected by top and bottom walls and the sleeve is of a size to hold a plurality of cans in a `row with the walls tting snugly against the sides and tops and bottoms of the cans. The end cans in the row are held in the sleeve by retaining aps cut from the top and bottom walls of the sleeve and connected to the walls along fold lines, from which the ilaps project inwardly toward the middle of the walls. The retaining aps are .bent out of the plane of their walls and extend into the interior of the sleeve to engage the inner surfaces of the can chimes and the flaps are held in effective position by holding aps attached to the top `and bottom walls of the sleeve along ifold lines lying outwardly `from retaining ap fold lines. In the erected carton, the retaining lflaps are folded through 180, so that they lie against the inner side of their related holdnited States Patent "ice ing aps, and the retaining and holding ilaps have interlocking means, through which the holding flaps act to hold the retaining aps flexed inwardly out of the planes of their respective walls.

The patented carrier is ofV simple construction and the cans are held securely therein by the combination of retaining and holding aps described. However, the inward folding of the holding flaps and the interlocking of the interlocking of the iiaps to place the carrier in condition `for loading requires the use of special machinery for high speed operation.

The present invention is, accordingly, directed to the provision of a can carrier, which includes `the'desirable combination of retaining and holding aps disclosed in the patent but is of such constnuction that the flaps can be folded and placed in eiective position as the carrier blank is being folded and glued on conventional gluing machines. in addition, the retaining aps are cut Afrom the top and bottom walls ot the carrier and do not extend beyond the boundaries of the Walls, so that the use of these flaps does not require additional paper board for the blank.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan View of a blank for making one form of a carton embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a partially erected carton made vfrom the blank of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the fully erected .carton shown in Fig. 2;

Patented Apr. 30, 1957 Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of another form of the carton of the invention;

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are fragmentary perspective views with parts broken away, which show one Iform of the chime locking means of the invention at diierent stages in its completion;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the completed chime lock of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the parts used in making another chime lock of the invention;

Fig. l0 is a view in perspective with parts broken away showing the completed chime lock made from the parts shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. l1 is a plan view of the parts used in another -form of chime lock of the invention;

Figs. l2 and 13 are bottom .perspective views showing different stages in the Iformation of the chime lock of the parts shown in Fig. 1l; and

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal sectional view through the ompleted chime lock made of the parts shown in ig. l1.

The blank 20 shown in Fig. 1 is employed in provducing a carrier for holding six cans in two rows of three each with the cans in the two rows separated by a central partition. rThe carrier includes a handle and the cans are held in .place by chime locks, which engage the chimes at the top and bottom of the end cans in each row.

The blank 20 comprises a pair of like side walls 2l, 22 having edges connected along crease lines 23, 24, respectively, to the edges of top walls 25, 26. The opposite edges of the top walls are connected along crease lines 27, 28 to handle panels 29, 30 connected together along a crease line 31. The panel 29 has an opening 32, which registers with a ap 33 partially cut from panel 30 and connected to the panel along a crease line 34, the opening 32 being large enough to permit flap 33 to be pushed through it.

The outer edge of side wall 20 is connected along a crease line 35 to one edge of bottom wall 36 having its other edge connected along a crease line 37 to a central partition panel 38. The partition 38 is of the same width along crease line 37 as the bottom section 36 and side wall 21 `but becomes narrower a short distance from crease line 37, At its end remote from the crease line, the partition is connected along a crease line 39 to a handle reinforcing panel 40 having an opening 41 similar tobottom wall 36. The other edge of bottom -wall 43 is connected along a crease Iline 44 to a glue flap 45.

Each of the top walls 25, 26 and the bottom walls 36, 43 is provided near its ends with chime locks for engaging the chimes of the end cans in the rows in the carrier and preventing the cans from .being accidentally dislodged. The chime locks are identical and only one, such as the lock 46 in lthe end wal-.l 36, will be described in detail.

The chime lock 46 comprises a retaining flap 47 partially cut from wall 36 and connected to the wall along a crease line 4S, which extends transversely of the wall. The ap 47 extends inwardly from crease line 4S and is of increasing width toward its free end. The end edge 47a `of the iiap is formed by a cut and it has a shape curvature is approximately that of the inner surface of a chime of the can.

The chime loclt is completed by a holding fiapu49, which is 'partially cut from wall 36 `and is connected thereto along a crease line. Theiflap 4'9 Vextends inwardly from its crease line and the crease linemay be contmuous, Vbut is preferably formed -in `two parts 56a, Sb lying on opposite sides of the retaining flap and outward from its inmost point. In thechirne loc'k shown, thc sections Sila, Stlb of the creaselin'e start at the'en'ds of the curved inner edge 47a vof the retaining ilap 47 and the cut forming the edge 47a also defines the 'edge of the holding iiap 49 between'the sectiohsa, Stlb of the creaseline. The edge 47a of the retaining-apis thus convx land the outer :edge of-tteihldin'gilapvlying 'between the sections 50a, 50b of its "crease lineis concave, When -the inner [edge of the retainingpfis straight, the crease line of theiliolding ilaplis prefeiablyinade in two lsectionsextendingontv'rd lfrom thciside edg'es'of the i'taining flap atpointslyin'g outward from its'inner end. In the chime lock showinlthetlap 49 tapers in width'towadits inner 'end and'thatfe'nd -is'of approximately the same length as tlicase'line 46. l

In all forms of the new chime lock, the length of the holding flap measured between `its crease line `and 4the contirniationof its free inner'edge is such that, when the ap is folded through 180,itroverlaps'the retaining ap 47. Preferably, the length lof the holding ap is not substantially the `distance d between thel crease line 48 of the'retaining flap Vand the -c'rease linef50a, Stlb of the holding ap, so that when the holding tlap is bent through 180, it ywill overliehthe retaining tiapforsubstantially its entire length. When the 'length'l equals distance d, the folding of the holdinga'p through 180 causes the outer end edge of flap l49 to coincide with crease line 48, as illustrated.

In converting the blank 29 into a carton, glue is Vapplied to theinner faces yof handle pa'nels29, 30 and to the outer face of glue'flap "45 and the blank is folded on its crease lines to cause the handle panels 29, 30 to adhere to opposite faces of the handle reinforcing panel 40 and the glu'e'ap toV adh'ereito Vthe face of the :central partition 38"'adjace`nt its crease line 37. The side walls 21, 2,2 then lie in the planes vof their respective top walls 25, 26 and th'e bottom walls 36, 43 lie face to face,"s`o'that ithe cartonis` ,fully collapsed. To erect the `glned Vcarton from itsncollapsedcndition, force is applied tothe creaseline .31'at the"upperend of the handlearid the `ce`ase`ylines35 and 42' at the lower 'ends of the side walls 21,22. As arfe'sult, thel top walls 25, 26 a1-ebr`oiigl1t to the Vhorizontal position as are also the bottom walls 56,43. Thecaiton 'is nowmade up of two sleeves'Sl, 52 of rectangular cross-'section having a common side wallfforlned by the central partition 38 and outerside walls'21, 22. `Each"'s1 e'eve alsohas top and botto'm'walls connecting theside walls.

In order to place the chime locks in effective condition, the retaining Vflap 47 of each lock is bent out of the plane of 'its wall into the interior of the carton through an angle of about/90 andjto the position illustrated in Fig. 6. While the retaining ilap is in this position, the holding ilap 49 is folded inward through anangle of 180 until it lies against the'inn'er surface of the wall. The retaining ap is then folded back toward its initial position and until it engages the inner surface of the holding flap` As the overall`wid`th of the lholding flap is greater than thegreatest' width lof the retaining ap, the bending'of the holding vp throughY 180 as described causes it to bear against the -inner surface of the wall at opposite sides of the opening left by the folding of the retaining `flap out of the plane of the wall. When the retaining Hap is bent back to engage the inner surface of the holding flap, the retaining-flap is keptvoutof the plane of the wall by the thickness of the holding ap lying between the outer surface of the retaining flap and the inner surface of the wall. As a result, the inner edge 47a of the retaining ap is always held below the inner surface of the end wall and, when a can is inserted into the carton, the chime of the can flexes the retaining flap outward and, when released, the llap springs into the recess at the end of theca'nwithin the chime. The dimensions of the carton are"such'that each sleeve will hold a row of cans with the inner surfaces of the chimes of the end-cans engagedbytheends of' the retaining aps. As these ilaps are continuouslylheld'belowfthe tops of the chimes by the holding"a`ps,tlie"cansare held lirmly in place by the retaining flapsand cannot 'be'acci'dentally dislodged.

The form of tlie"1w""cal"t"on shown inFig. 4 is a single sleeve 53 made up of side walls 54, 55 connected by a bottom wall 56 integral with the side walls. The side walls ale'also connected by a top wall 57, whichis integr'al 'with wall 55 and has a glue flap 58 secured to wall 54. The Vtop and'bottom walls are provided with chimeflocks v59 near lopposite ends thereof and each lock may be-similar to lock 46.

In the chime lock 46, the retaining flap 47 has a single continuous' crease line 48 and, when the holding ap 49 is bent through it engages the inner surface of the carton wall only at the sides of the opening left by thc folding of the retaining flap out of the plane of the Wall. In the modified chime lock 60 shown in Fig. 9, the retaining ap 61 is connected to the end wall62 along a crease line in two parts 63a, 63b and the'adjacent ends'of the parts of the 'crease line are 'connected by a curved cut forming a tab`64, which extends inward 'toward the median plane of the carton. l`hele'ngth l of the holding liep 65 approximates the distance d between the crease line 63a, 63b of the 'retaining flap and the crease line 66a, 66b of the holding lla'p. Accordingly, when the retaining flap is folded out of'the plane of the wall 62 and the holding flap is folded through 180 to lie against the inner surface of the wall, the central part of the holding llap lies against the inner surface of the tab 64. When the retaining flap is then folded to-lie against the inner surface of the holding ap, 4thetab 6ft prevents the central parts of the retaining and holding flaps from bulging upwardly andthus avoids'the possibility of the retaining flap becoming disengaged from the can chime.

The chime lock A(S7-shown in Fig. 11 is generally similar 'to that shown in Fig. 9 and includes a retaining flap 68 connected to the wall 69 along-'spaced crease lines 68a, 68b toleave a `fcentra1 tab 70, and a Vholding ilap 71 connectedlto the 'wallalongspaced crease lines 71a, 71b extending vot'ltwadly'from :the lateral edges ofthe rctaining flap. -The length l-of the retainingfllap 71 is *slightlyigfreater than the 'distance d between the crease Vlines `of the -holding and retaining aps and, as a consequence, when the retaining lflap is folded out of the plane of wall691and the holding Hap 71 is folded through 180'to lie` against vthe'inner surface of the tab 70, the free end edge 71e of the holding flap lies outward a slight distance'beyond the crease lines 68a, 6811 connecting the retaining `flap to the wall. The folding yof the retaining flap '68 back `toward the plane of the wall then causes thefholding flap to buckle and bulge inward slightly and this stitfens the' flap and causes it to hold the retaining flap lmore'-'se'curely withY the free; edge fof the retaining ap lying spaced inwardly from the inner surface of the Wall. In order to facilitate the buckling lof the wall 71, it may bevformed with la transverse fold line 71d, as shown.

The folding of the retaining and holding flaps as described to place the chime' locks inoperative position isV preferably done in two stages with the holding flaps folded against the innerA surfaces of their walls at the time the cartonjblankis glued. The'holdingflaps can beheld in such folded condition bygluing and, when the carton is to be filled on a loading machine, the insertion of the cans into the carton causes the retaining -aps to be swung against the holding flaps and into eifective position.

I claim:

1. A carton for holding a row of cans having chimes at at least one end, which comprises a sleeve open at its ends `and formed of a pair of like side walls and top and bottom walls connecting the top and bottom edges, respectively, of the side Walls, `a retaining flap `attached to at least one connecting Wall near lone Iend thereof along a fold line extending transverse to the wall, the tlap lying inward from the fold line Iand being bent "along the fold line rout of the plane Aof said wall into the interior -of the sleeve, `and a holding ap attached to said wall along a fold line parallel to and inward from the 'retaining flap fold line, the holding il-ap being folded through 180 along its fold line and lying between the under surface of said wall and the top of the retaining ap.

2. The lcarton of claim l, in which the holding ilap is connected to the Wall along a fold line in two parts, which lie on opposite sides `of the retaining flap between the free end and the fold line lof the retaining Ifiap, and a cut in said wall defines the end edge lof the retaining ilap and the outer edge 4of the holding iiap between the two parts of its fold line.

3. The carton of claim 2, in which the cut has a curvature approximating that yof the chime of a can and the end edge of the retaining Iilap is convex.

4. The carton of claim 1, in which the fold line of the retaining flap is in two lspaced parts connected by la cut dening a tab and the free end of the holding flap lies beneath the tab.

5. The carton of claim l, in which the length of the holding flap is greater than the distance between the fold lines of the holding and retaining flaps land the holding ap is transversely flex-ed.

6. The carton Iof claim 1, in which the retaining and holding aps are duplicated near opposite ends Iof the wall.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,670,498 Einson May 22, 1928 2,614,737 Parker Oct. 21, 1952 2,678,767 Toensmeier May 18, 1954 2,739,735 Anderson Mar. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 489,980 Canada Jan. 27, 1953 

